Monday, December 30, 2013

Queens, New York · Industrial and Labor

Relations

nhkaplan@hotmail.comTell us about what you're doing with your life.I am currently Vice President, Deputy General Counsel for the New York Mets. I work with the General Counsel and two other outstanding lawyers on all legal matters for the organization. In addition to doing work for the team and the Mets business operations, we handle legal issues for our home ballpark, Citi Field, our spring training facility in Florida, our training complex in the Dominican Republic, and the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team and its ballpark in Coney Island. Significant matters that I’ve worked on since joining the Mets in 2003 include the creation of the SNY television network; the financing, construction, and operation of Citi Field; the sale of minority interests in the team; and baseball salary arbitration. I live in Queens, New York with my beautiful wife and high school sweetheart Ginny; our children Samantha, 9; and Will, 6; and our cat Maz, 13.What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?Without question, graduation day. Getting through Cornell was such hard work, often under difficult circumstances, and I remember having such a feeling of accomplishment at reaching graduation in one piece. I was fortunate enough to be one of the ILR degree marshals and help to lead my school into the football stadium, and the first moment I saw the stands full of graduates’ families, friends and loved ones, including my own, is one of my most cherished memories.Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?My three closest friends are all Cornell class of 1995: Rob Friedman, David Quigley, and Jonathan Perry. Rob and I have been friends since freshman year in ILR, I met Jon right at the end of senior year, and I didn’t meet David until law school. All three of us went to Harvard Law School, but I think that something about the Cornell experience, or maybe something about the kind of person who would go to Cornell, is the same for all of us, and is at the heart of our friendships.What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?Aside from bring the heaviest coat, gloves, boots, and hat you can find? Take advantage of the opportunity to take classes in different schools, and to meet people whose interests are very different than your own. I was in ILR, but my transcript includes classes like Intro to Acting, Psychology & Law, Ancient Seafaring, Art from 1940 to 1990, and Science in Western Civilization. I tried to make the most of Ezra’s “any person, any study” philosophy, and I’m glad I did.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Baltimore, Maryland · Agriculture and Life

Sciences

eharty@gmail.comTell us about what you're doing with your life.After working as a staff writer/editor for an equestrian magazine and an online pet magazine, I went freelance in 2002. I've done a mixture of writing, editing, and online community management, mostly for equestrian magazines, but also for a lacrosse magazine here in Baltimore. In 2008, I wrote a book on horse care for the Humane Society of the United States.

Those jobs took me from rural Virginia to Phoenix to Annapolis, then finally to Baltimore, where I bought a decrepit 100-year-old rowhouse that has now been completely gutted and redone. I can see Camden Yards from my house!

I still ride horses, although my current horse, Chief, is older and semi-retired now—his show name, when he was still competing, was Ithaca! I also do a lot of volunteering in animal rescue, and currently have a pit bull and an ever-rotating gang of foster cats.Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?Through the magic of Facebook, most of U-Hall 3, 4th floor. The folks I actually make a point of visiting with whenever the opportunity arises: my senior year roommates (Thelma Romano Kranyak, Erica Chapman, Aylin Ozmelek Lewallen, James Boglioli), Elana GIlaad, Jennifer Keene, and Concert Commission cronies Tom Lyon, Sanjoy Biswas, and Erika Eason.What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?Even though none of us were really "runners" while at Cornell, my senior year roommates (Erica Chapman, Aylin Ozmelek Lewallen, Thelma Romano Kranyak, and James Boglioli '94) and I are all now into long-distance running. In 2012, we all got together for the first time in a decade to run a half marathon, and it's given us a reason to meet up periodically for races. James and Erica also convinced me to run my first full marathon in Baltimore in October, and Thelma and her whole family came to cheer me on!What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?Besides the obvious -- catching up with old friends -- I love spending time on campus and in Ithaca. As much as it has changed (and holy cow, has it changed!), it always feels like home.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Seattle, Washington · Agriculture and Life

Sciences

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.Since leaving Cornell, I have been lucky enough to serve in a variety of challenging and unique positions, while getting the chance to live and travel all over. These have included being a roadie for AC/DC and The Rolling Stones, working for Deloitte Consulting, managing a San Francisco art gallery, doing product management at Earthlink and executive search with Korn Ferry and, now, Amazon. I live in Seattle with my wife, Stephanie, my son, Lloyd, and our two dogs, Happy and Travis.What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?The Marketing of Fruits, Vegetables and Ornamental Products, especially the filed trip to see the giant pumpkins.How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?I would say that the heavy workload at Cornell prepared me well for the working world, which is ever more demanding with its always-on culture. I also have some friends for life that I shared a very formative four years with and they keep me grounded in what is important.What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?Since I left New York almost immediately after graduating and never looked back, having the network of alumni out in the world has served me well. It is a unique connection you can immediately light up with people and I am able to find Cornellians everywhere I live.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Every few weeks, Cornell '95 Faces features a profile of one of our class officers. This week, meet reunion co-chair Lisa Powell Fortna. And for the first time (but not the last) this week's profile is also of a Class of 1995 couple. Fredonia, New York · Arts and Sciences & Agriculture and Life Sciences

Names at CornellMatt Fortna & Lisa Powelllisafortna@yahoo.comTell us about what you're doing with your life.After Matthew finished his orthodontic residency at the University of Pennsylvania and 10 years of living in Philadelphia, we moved back to Western New York near my family. Matthew started and manages his own practice. I work for an independent consulting firm focused on large-scale HR transformation initiatives and teach as an adjunct professor at our local community college. But mostly, we are focused on keeping up with our four children and the increasingly complex schedule of activities of elementary and middle school age kids (who knew?!).What are your duties as class officer and what have you enjoyed about the job?Lisa:I was a co-reunion chair for our 15th and am looking forward to working with Michael Stroud and our reunion committee for our 20th. Believe it or not, the planning process really kicks off more than a year in advance of reunion. We have two main goals – to get as many classmates to return to campus as possible and then to make sure everyone has an awesome time by planning fun events with great food and drinks. I love this blog as one of the ways we hope to increase connections and interest. I’ve been to all of our reunions and love being a part of the process. There is nothing like being on campus with thousands of alumni and connecting with old friends and new ones all tied to the shared experience of Cornell.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?Matt:Calculus. Just kidding! Who says that? I enjoyed my Anthropology classes and Comparative Morphology classes the most. I don't think I have put them to good use since the prelims, but the content was very interesting.Lisa:Business Communication with Professor Earle was probably one of the most useful classes – even though I might not have known it at the time. The combination of impromptu speeches and the final presentations with his planned technology glitches, lights going off... really was/is a true simulation for my corporate experience. But, then again, Matthew and I met in a freshmen bio lecture, so I guess that class was pretty important even though I never used any bio after that.What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?Matt:Hockey games at Lynah Rink were always a treat. We were spoiled while at Cornell. That kind of entertainment is hard to come by these days in the professional sporting world.Lisa:So many memories… Matthew and I were married in Sage Chapel with the reception at Willard Straight so that is a pretty special Cornell memory. As an undergrad, seeing Maya Angelou speak, lunching at Trillium, walking up Libe slope in the snow, and the Cornell-in-Washington program definitely make the highlight list.What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?Matt:Intramural sports, for sure. Never worked so hard for a bunch of T-shirts and pride. I hope the intramural sports program is still alive and kicking for the current students to enjoy. "Sorry organic chem, just can't study right now, we have a hockey game. It's the championship." My how priorities have changed since then.What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?Lisa:Being a part of the tradition and legacy that is Cornell is humbling and I am grateful for my experience as an undergrad and my continuing connection as an alumnus. One of the great things about being a Cornell alum is the combination of knowing you are pretty much prepared for whatever gets thrown at you and you get to start with a baseline of credibility – not a bad foundation for wherever the road takes you.

Monday, December 2, 2013

New York, New York · Arts and Sciences

christine@aim13.comTell us about what you're doing with your life.Last year, Eric Withrow (my husband) and I were married at a destination wedding in Bermuda followed by a festive Chinese wedding banquet in Flushing. We enjoy life in NYC, and I work at an investment firm focused on hedge funds and private equity. I also serve as a Treasurer at Bottomless Closet NYC, a not-for-profit empowering women to be self-sufficient, as well as on the Trust & Estate Board of SUNY College of Optometry. I volunteer as a member of the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network and as a mentor in Cornell's Alumni-Student Mentoring Program. I love to cook and celebrated my 40th birthday with a 70-person potluck party. I look back fondly to my days living as an expat in London, but recent trips have included our honeymoon in New Zealand, my annual Cornell KD reunion in VA, and visits with friends and family in MA and NC.What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?I will always be nostalgic for times studying while curled up in a cozy couch in the AD White Library overlooking Libe Slope – it was such a peaceful, idyllic time as a student at Cornell.What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?Kappa Delta sorority fostered close relationships, enduring friendships, a network of friends I treasure.Cornell’s Equestrian Program and Team – it was a dream to ride horses 3-4 times a week. I groomed horses in exchange for lessons and ride time and learned about horsemanship and discipline. Terrine remains one of the best trainers I’ve ever had.What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?Abby Joseph Cohen, renowned economist at Goldman Sachs – I met her 1) as a junior at Cornell during a teleconference during Johnson’s business school class 2) as a senior at Cornell at a student/alumnae women’s roundtable lunch in NYC, and 3) several years ago as a finance professional at a CFA Institute event in NYC.